Professional wildlife photographers can be astonishingly nonchalant about close encounters with dangerous animals. Luckily, you won’t have to get quite as up-front-and-personal on your trip to wildlife Africa tourist destinations like Kenya Mara game reserve. In fact, you probably won’t be allowed to - most professional guides insist you photograph from the safety of a tour vehicle.

However, you can still get fabulous photos from afar. Just make sure your camera has a telephoto lens no smaller then 300 mm. minimum. (The ideal would be the standard 600 mm. preferred by professional wildlife photographers.)

Start Small ” Stalk A Squirrel

Carrying out a few simple photography exercises and making some modifications before you ever step on the plane can improve your wildlife Africa photography results 100%.

# Practice snapping wildlife in your own neighborhood ” and especially from your car window (providing you’re not the person who is driving!) It doesn’t matter if your subject is just a ground squirrel or a seagull. You’ll soon find yourself seeing opportunities for unique shots you’d have never noticed before.

* Practice so much that you could find your controls in the dark. It would be heartbreaking to miss a once-in-a-lifetime shot, all because you cant find your power button.

# Use that new telephoto lens at home, instead of a noisy zoom. Now is the time to notice the noises your camera makes, and do what you can to minimize any potentially startling sounds before you ever reach wildlife Africa. You know the proverb ” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

* Visit your local zoo or game park to observe your desired subjects beforehand, if possible. Read about them. Practice photographing them in a controlled setting.

Bring Your Trip To Life

* Remember that often a wildlife pictures photography opportunity will come along when the tour vehicle is bouncing over potholes. A bean bag will absorb some of the shock to your camera.

* Don’t just fill your camera screen with your animal subject - include natural objects unique to each park to give a sense of place.

* Wear long sleeves and pants, and use mosquito repellent - one creature you wont want to get up close and personal with is this malaria-carrying pest. (Besides, you don’t want a perfect shot ruined by a mosquito bite at the wrong moment!)

You may feel silly chasing squirrels through your local park, but persevere. The results of a little foresight and practice and the application of a few simple tricks and techniques will make sure your camera captures your wildlife Africa dream, as well as your subjects.

And whatever you do in wildlife Africa ” don’t leave your camera at home!